Laken Riley Act Passes As House Dems Flip Sides

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Six Democrats changed their positions Tuesday on the Laken Riley Act, allowing it to pass through the House.

The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to “detain certain non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting. The bill also authorizes states to sue the federal government for decisions or alleged failures related to immigration enforcement.” Those regarded as unlawfully present in the U.S., or without the necessary documentation while applying for admission, or have been “charged with, arrested for, convicted for, or admits to having committed acts that constitute the essential elements of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting,” must also be detained. (RELATED: Biden Admin New Overreach Targets Checking Accounts)

“Decisions or alleged failures by the federal government” related to immigration that led to harm of any state citizen, including financial harm of more than $100, the state government can sue. Such decisions and/or alleged failures include:

• decision to release a non-U.S. national from custody;
• failure to fulfill requirements relating to inspecting individuals seeking admission into the United States, including requirements related to asylum interviews;
• failure to fulfill a requirement to stop issuing visas to nationals of a country that unreasonably denies or delays acceptance of nationals of that country;
• violation of limitations on immigration parole, such as the requirement that parole be granted only on a case-by-case basis; or
• failure to detain an individual who has been ordered removed from the United States.

159 House Democrats Voted Against The Laken Riley Act

The act is named for 22-year-old Laken Riley, who was murdered by illegal Venezuelan immigrant Jose Antonio Ibarra. Ibarra was previously arrested for shoplifting in the U.S. but not detained, according to the Post-Gazette. “Laken Riley was brutally murdered by an illegal alien that President Biden and the Democrats let into this country with their open border policy. It is hard to believe after countless horrific stories like Laken’s, ANY House Democrats would vote against deporting illegal aliens who commit violent crimes against American citizens,” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said in a statement regarding the act, according to the Daily Caller. (LEARN MORE: American Credit Card Loan Defaults: What To Know)

“But 159 just did, demonstrating some Democrats have ignored the loud and clear message from voters in this election who demanded secure borders, the deportation of violent illegal aliens, and laws that put the safety and security of the American people first,” he added.

Here is the full list of those who voted against the act — we highly recommend using the Ctrl+F search function, or scrolling to find out whether or not your Reps were on this list. Examples include New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Those who flipped their vote are:

• Pennsylvania Rep. Brendan Boyle
• Oregon Rep. Val Hoyle
• Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath
• New York Rep. Joseph Morelle
• Alabama Rep. Terri Sewell
• New York Rep. Ritchie Torres

The bill will now move to the Senate, where is it expected to pass.

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